Information Technology Services Report
This report presentsthe progress and updated priorities and initiatives for Information Technology Services based on the goals, objectives and strategies outlined in Doane’s Strategic Plan and the Information Technology Plan. Below are some of the highlights of work completed and in progress since our last report.
Online Science Course Simulations
We are currently working with CD2 learning to develop the first full online simulation for an Organic Chemistry lab. This virtual lab will provide students the opportunity to learn how to synthesize aspirin. Our subject matter experts and designers are working with the design team at CD2 learning. Our goal is to have the prototype completed in early October.
Instant Enrollment
We are in the process of implementing Instant Enrollment that will allow students and prospective students for our online Prerequisites for the Health Professions courses to register for courses, make payments, and gain access to their courses 24x7.
Recruiter - Customer Relationship Management System
We have completed the Recruiter 4.2 upgradeas part of the Adult Education plan implementation. We are in the process of working with the College of Arts and Sciences Admissions team to updated some of their reports and processes. Additionally, we will help them implement some of the new features including setting up workflows to communicate directly with parents of applicants.
Blackboard Learning Management System
This summer we upgraded Blackboard to Q4 2015. New features include: HTML 5 Audio and Video playback in Chrome and Edge browsers. This is significant on two fronts 1) Chrome is a preferred browser of a large portion of our student and faculty user base and 2) More content is being produced in HTML 5 format because it does not require a third party plug-in (i.e. Flash).
Website Enhancements
Our IT and Marketing Web team has been hard at work as well.
- Developed over 20 landing pages for Adult Education marketing campaigns.
- We updated the entire website for the move to University
- Created a New College of Education site.
- We will now begin an effort to provide localized access for subsets of users based on their needs. The goal is to provide easy and quick access to the information they need.
Engineering Lab
The new engineering lab is in the process of being completed. The lab will contain a fabrication workspace where students can create prototypes using 3D Printers and CNC (computer numerical control) machines.
Network Management
To provide better visibility into the health and performance of our mission critical infrastructure on all four of our campuses, the network services team implemented a new monitoring software called OpManager. This software provides a global view of all mission critical IT infrastructure in a single pane and can both visually and electronically notify the technician of a threshold being reached for a developing issue or a fault. Troubleshooting information is easily accessed to avoid failures where possible and in the event of a fault, to restore services efficiently.
Information Security Assessment
We recently completed an Information Security Assessment based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines. Our goal is to use the findings from the initial audit to provide a baseline reference and to create a plan of action so that Doane will be substantially compliant with the applicable NIST standards by the end of calendar year 2017.
IT Risk Register
The Technology Committee met a few weeks ago to complete the final draft of the IT Risk Register. The risks outlined in the table at the end of this report will be compiled with the risk registers from the other committees later this fall.
Goal 1. Learning through Engagement
Objective / Strategy / StatusObjective E: Prepare students to use technology effectively for communication and for research in preparation for their future careers. / Strategy 2: Evaluate the potential educational impact as well as costs of the support, infrastructure, and training requirements for a Mobile Learning program (providing all students and faculty with a common device – laptop or tablet) as one option to facilitate the effective use of technology in academic programs and to enhance student learning on the effective uses of technology. / This fall we will begin the strategic planning process with faculty to update our Technology Plan. As part of that process we will discuss contemporary mobile strategies. We are in the process of updating quotes for a mobile devicemanagement platform. This device is needed to enhance security of our mobile computing environment and most of these devices have useful features to help with onboarding of students and management of software. Additionally, these devices support multiple mobile strategies including bring your own device and common device models.
Goal 2: Expanding Resources through Enrollment Growth.
Objective / Strategy / StatusObjective B: Grow enrollment for non-traditional and graduate students.
. / Strategy 2: Establish a blended or on-line program on the undergraduate level and identify a niche area for a new on-line graduate program. / Most of the initial technology resources for the Adult Education plan have now been implemented. We still need to extend our Voice over IP phone system to the Grand Island and Omaha campuses.
We are in the process of implementing Instant Enrollment and are reviewing some marketing automation software to provide advanced workflow and analytics for the Marketing team.
Goal 4: Exceptional Educational Environment.
Objective / Strategy / StatusObjective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research, and effective service across all campuses.
Objective C:Develop a campus master plan to improve academic facilities and plan for future growth.
Objective D: Transform the library into an advanced learning commons. / Strategy 1:Create a new Information Technology Strategic Plan to support the institution’s strategic initiatives and plans for future growth.
ITS Strategic Plan: Learning and Teaching Spaces Strategy 1: Improve the experience of student learning at Doane by developing more flexible classroom designs that accommodate a variety of teaching and learning styles.
Strategy 1:While awaiting realization of the full master plan, develop a plan to renovate the existing space of the Library into an enhanced learning commons. / This fall we will begin the process to update the Technology Plan.
For the 2017-2018 budget we have requested capital funding to support a full one-year refresh (20% of existing assets) for classrooms, labs, faculty and staff.
This academic year we will be developing a plan to educate facilities and technology staff on Information Standards for the various types of classrooms and labs at Doane.
The Learning Commons project was completed. This fall we plan to enhance the media lab by installing a one-button studio. The lab and recording studio is currently well equipped with professional audio and video technology. Based on feedback from students and faculty we will develop a “OneButton” studio. The idea was first developed at Penn State in response to supporting their students’ needs for a simplified, automated video recording studio that allows students to “record video presentations with a minimal learning curve”.
Goal 5: Supportive and Inclusive Community.
Objective / Strategy / StatusObjective C: Restructure the College to promote growth, effective planning and enhanced communication across all campuses in the college system, expanding awareness of the college’s common mission. / Strategy 5: Improve the College web-site for marketing and Enrollment Services and move to develop a College-wide portal that delivers user-specific information to increase communication of timely information and to provide easier access to College-related announcements, news, documents, policies, pertinent websites, events, etc. / As previously shared, several enhancements have been made to the website since our last report.
- Developed over 20 landing pages for Adult Education marketing campaigns.
- Updated the entire website for the move to University
- Created a New College of Education site.
IT Plan: Teaching and Learning
Initiative / Target / OutcomesLiving, Learning and Performance Spaces / Continue to improve students living and learning experience through technology / We installed several new switches and access points in residence halls and buildings.
We are in the process of planning a major upgrade of our wireless infrastructure. The next generation controller is virtual and will manage services for all campuses.
Additionally, we updated the Education technology lab with new hard drives and a new smart board.
IT Plan: Administrative Computing
Initiative / Target / OutcomesRecruiter
Adobe Creative Cloud / Implement Recruiter Application for GPS and Education.
Upgrade the Graphic Arts Labs. / We are currently planning for the next upgrade (version 4.6) for Recruiter for later this fall. Additionally we are exploring the possibility of integrating marketing automation software to provide enhanced workflow and analytics.
We completed the software upgrade this summer.
IT Plan: Technology Infrastructure and Support
Initiative / Target / OutcomesUpgrade Storage Environment
Classroom, Faculty and Staff Refresh
Information Security
Bookstore and Service Bureau / Add 10 TB of Storage to Doane’s Storage Area Network.
Complete scheduled server, classroom, lab, faculty, and staff refresh programs.
Complete NIST Information Security Assessment.
Identify opportunities to increase revenue and improve efficiencies. / The college’s area network was upgraded a few weeks ago. The storage in our data center now exceeds 150 TB.
We were able to upgrade 10 classrooms this summer on the Crete campus and two labs.We were able to refresh several faculty or staff machines. As part of the budgeting process, we have requested a full refresh of 20% of our classroom, faculty and staff computers for FY 2017-2018.
A few weeks ago we had a consultant onsite to conduct a baseline audit using the NIST Security Guidelines. We expect a report in the next few weeks.
We are finalizing recommendations for the College of Professional Studies bookstore and we surveyed faculty last spring to determine the needs for College of Arts and Sciences. We are scheduling meetings with faculty and students this fall and will report our recommendations in May.
IT Risk Register
IT Risk Area / Description / Probability and Impact / Mitigation / Risk Level/ (Score) / Strategic InitiativeTeaching and Learning Support / Doane has a small, highly specialized technology staff with increasing workload. / If technology support for learning and teaching is not resourced or prioritized, then the service might not be sufficiently robust or developed to support use, demand, and user expectations. This may result in a high-profile failure or widespread dissatisfaction with tools or inability of the institution to deliver high-quality teaching. / We have hired a Programmer Analyst and will begin the search for a Helpdesk Technician this fall. We will continue to assess and update plans and resources to address the needs for academic, research and student successareas. We have identified the need for additional Instructional Technology resources and research support for the College of Arts and Sciences. / Level 4 (16) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 4: Exceptional Education Environment; Objective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research and effective services across all campuses.
Funding and Resourcing IT / The IT services portfolio for the university continues to expand and ongoing cost for services and maintenance contracts continue to rise. / If we do not anticipate the cost of new and recurring costs of IT services and resource appropriately, then there is the possibility that service improvements, including essential upgrades and enhancements, will not occur in a timely fashion — or at all. As a result, we risk service degradation or major failure and therefore compromise to our operations. / We are working with Nebraska Education entities to identify opportunities to share services and resources. We will continue to evaluate IT requirements based on institutional priorities and seek opportunities to divest (e.g. move to software as a service), reinvest (information security) and invest (online learning) in technology to provide a sustainable plan and help the institution differentiate itself from competitors thru the strategic use of technology. / Level 4 (16) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 4: Exceptional Education Environment; Objective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research and effective services across all campuses.
IT Risk Area / Description / Probability and Impact / Mitigation / Risk Level/ (Score) / Strategic Initiative
Information Security / Phishing, malware, ransomware, data breaches and distributed denial of service attacks are impacting business operations around the globe. / Hackers are regularly targeting higher education institutions across the US. Doane IT staff respond to individual reports of phishing and malware incidents each week. If not addressed, Doane might suffer from inappropriate exposure of private data, resulting in a risk of lawsuits, loss of institutional intellectual property, loss of institutional reputation, or financial penalties. / Provide additional education for students, faculty and staff on how to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks, and how to safeguard the confidentiality of our data. Complete a NIST audit, update incident response procedures and enhance policies and controls for individuals handling confidential Information. We are updating threat detection and prevention policies and procedures. / Level 3 (15) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 4: Exceptional Education Environment; Objective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research and effective services across all campuses.
Adult Ed Plan Investment / The expansion of adult enrollment is important for Doane. The investment is a risk since we are developing new on-line programs in a highly competitive market. / The number of competitive online and adult programs may limit the growth of Doane's program or elongate the time they take to achieve a healthy net income. Without an additional infusion of new income from the adult programs we may have difficulty both sustaining the structure created for the new programs and in providing additional income for the University. / The leading positions for the adult plan have been filled with staff and faculty who have experience in online programs. Initial efforts in marketing and enrollment have generated more potential for inquiries than in past years. Systems and processes are being implemented to support growth. New and innovative content is in the process of being created by our subject matter experts and designers. / Level 3 (15) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 2: Increase Student Recruitment and Retention; All objectives
IT Risk Area / Description / Probability and Impact / Mitigation / Risk Level/ (Score) / Strategic Initiative
Technology Accessibility / Doane is obligated by federal and state laws to ensure technology is accessible for persons with disabilities; 1.) to provide reasonable accommodations and access, 2.) to remove barriers to full participation and 3.) to modify policies, practices or procedures as necessary to afford access for an individual. / For four years, Doane has been using a third party web monitoringtool, SiteImprove. Each week we monitor and address compliance of the top 2600 pages of our Doane website. Additionally, the web team provides training for new authors and refresher training for existing authors. Doane IT staff are currently supporting the technology needs for one fully blind student on campus. / Planning is underway to provide additional training for faculty and staff with the goalof making all Doane education content accessible.
More work needs to be done on policy development and education of web authors. Our Web developers, new instructional technologist and designers all have skills in this area but need continuous training to stay current. / Level 3 (12) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 4: Exceptional Education Environment; Objective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research and effective services across all campuses.
Doane Strategic Plan Goal 5: Supportive and Inclusive Community;
Business Continuity / Ensure Doane’s critical business functions will continue to operate despite serious incidents or disasters. Ensure critical functions will be recovered to an operational state in the required time frame. / A business continuity plan was prepared last summer. However, departments delivering services in partnership with IT do not yet have adequate plans for continuation of their business processes in the event of an outage of IT or other utility services. / Work with departments to develop incident response plans for their areas. Continue to evaluate insurance requirements. Once the department plans are finalized, conduct training and test the plan annually. / Level 3 (10) / Doane Strategic Plan Goal 4: Exceptional Education Environment; Objective A: Provide an enriched technological environment that facilitates communication, research and effective services across all campuses.
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